Adjusted Hours and Impacts

Rainforest Building: The Rainforest Building will open at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4th, to give our western lowland gorilla troop the space, comfort, and privacy they need as they meet their newest member, ‘Johari’.

Prehistoric Park Seasonal Closure: Prehistoric Park will be closed for the season from October 27th, 2025, pending favorable weather conditions.

Animal Viewing Impacts:

PETRONAS Gateway to Asia Malayan Tapir Viewing: ‘Sempurna’ and her calf will have daily access to the main indoor habitat from 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. They’ll also have access to their behind-the-scenes space and may choose to spend time there, especially when the calf is nursing, so viewing isn’t always guaranteed. Thank you for your understanding.

Protecting our Birds: Viewing Updates Effective October 21
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in close proximity to the zoo. The health and well-being of the animals in our care remains our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we’re proactively implementing the following measures to protect our avian species:

The Rainforest Aviary and the Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary are closed;
All birds have been moved indoors, where possible, and may not be viewable (including Chilean flamingoes, ostrich, African grey-crowned cranes, greater rheas, whooping crane, red-crowned cranes, Dalmatian pelicans, and peacocks); and
The indoor habitat at Penguin Plunge remains open with increased pathway disinfection and disinfectant mats at the entrance.

By limiting access to our beloved birds, we’re helping to protect them from potential contamination from outside the zoo. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we work to keep the animals we all care about safe.

Exploration Asia
The Exploration Asia Redevelopment project is officially underway! While there are some viewing impacts in the area, you can still visit many of your favourite species.

Species Viewable: Bactrian camels, Komodo dragons, white-handed gibbons, Malayan tapirs, red-crowned cranes, Turkmenian markhors, Amur tigers, wild boar, and Pallas’s cats. Plus, our Dalmatian pelicans can be found in their temporary home at Land of Lemurs!
Species Not Viewable: Snow leopards and red pandas have been relocated during construction, but don’t worry – these beloved species will be back in 2026.

West Gate Closure

Due to significant construction activities in and around Exploration Asia, the zoo’s West Gate will remain closed for the 2025 season and is expected to remain closed until at least 2028/2029. This necessary step supports the safe movement of visitors while we undertake exciting improvements to animal habitats and visitor experiences.

In School Program

Biodiversity

Students will be investigating three different levels of biodiversity: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. As students explore the nature of reproduction, we’ll learn about the mating behaviours of some of our resident animals and examine how animals preserve biodiversity within their species. Students will learn how researchers apply this knowledge to the Species Survival Plan initiative as well as discover the science behind other captive breeding programs. Throughout the day students will reflect on the question “How might we communicate the importance of biodiversity and what actions can we take to support it?”

Grade: 9
Length: 3 hours
Availability: Mondays, December to February
Capacity: Up to 37 students
Cost: $365 (1 program) $615 (2 programs)

Curricular Connections:

Identify impacts of human action on species survival and variation within species, and analyze related issues for personal and public decision making
Investigate and interpret diversity among species and within species, and describe how diversity contributes to species survival
Identify the role of variation in species survival under changing environmental conditions
Evaluate the success and limitations of various local and global strategies for minimizing loss of species diversity
Observe variation in living things, and describe examples of variation among species and within species
Describe ongoing changes in biological diversity through extinction and extirpation of native species, and investigate the role of environmental factors in causing these changes
Identify examples of niches, and describe the role of variation in enabling closely related living things to survive in the same ecosystem

In School Program Information and FAQ

Biodiversity

Curricular Connections:

Categories

Related Programs

Bear Necessities

Biology 30: Population and Community Dynamics